Stamp holder



w. BETZ I STAMP HOLDER May 7, 1940.

Filed 001;. l, 1938 INVENTOR: MAL/AM Brrz, BY.

may

Patented May 7, 1940 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAMP HOLDER William Betz, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application October 1,

3 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of 10 herein described and claimed.

Additional objects, advantages andfeatures of invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the device in open position. I

Figure 3 is a similar view of the device in closed position.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

There is illustrated a holding device, generally indicated at Ill which comprises a pair of gripping fingers or arms ll, arranged in parallel relation and abutting each other at one end, where they are secured by a small bolt or rivet I2, the free ends of the arms ll terminating in flat broadened jaws I3, for a purpose, as will presently appear.

Each of the arms are slightly bowed, and

normally assume a position spaced'from each other at their free ends. Intermediate the lengths of the arms II, a slot I4 is formed extending longitudinally thereof and diametrically opposite each other, and slidably mounted in these slots there is a locking means l5, as will now be described. The catch members l5 of the aL5 locking means are formed from an elongated blank of metal, slotted at spaced intervals, then bent so as to have a spherical contour longitudinally of the blank, and the longitudinal edges of the blank then bent to define flanges 16, perconstructions, arrangements and combinations mitting ready securement within the slots of the 1938, Serial No. 232,862

seen in Figures 2 and 3. A ball I8 is housed in one of the catch members l5 and is freely movable longitudinallythrough the loops of the catch. The uppermost and lowermost loops ll of the catches l5 are spaced sufficiently close to the edges of the slot I4 to retain the ball. However, it should be noted that the clearance between the loops and the slot is such as to permit movement of the ball, during interleaving of the loops,

and it will be apparent that as the ball moves away from the gripping ends of the arms, it will encounter the progressively shorter loops which will prevent exit of the ball from within the loops. The slots M of the arms I I extend beyond the outermost loops for accommodation of the ball, as maybe seen in Figure 2.

In use, it is only necessary to compress and point the arms I l upwardly when the ball I8 will roll toward the fastened end and lock the arms against separation; and to release the arms, they are compressed and pointed downwardly, allowing the ball to roll toward the free ends of the arms and release the arms.

While I have described the device as a stamp holder-,it will be apparent that it is susceptible to use as an ordinary tweezer, and while a preferred form has been shown and described, I consider as my own all such variations in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a pair of spring arm members arranged in parallel relation connected at one end, means connecting the arm members comprising spaced loop members, the loops of one arm member adapted to interleave with loops of the other arm member, the loops being progressively shorter in length in the direction of the connected end of the arm' members and a retainer member movable through the interleaved loops.

2. A device of the character described comprising a pair ofbowed spring arm members arranged in parallel relation and connected at'one ,end, each of the arms having a slot intermediate their length, a catch member seated in each slot, said catch members having looped portions spaced for interleaving relation with each other and a member within one of the catch members movable through the looped portions when interleaved, the looped portions being progressively shorter in length in the direction of the con- WILLIAM lBETZ- 

